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Need help choosing Chicago area fairs...

Posted by Wendy Zumpano on February 9, 2010 at 3:19pm

This is the first year that I'm aggressively applying to fine art shows - WOW are they expensive!!! I'd love your expert advice, oh sage festival pros.

I've been accepted to Amdur's Barrington (brand new), Lincolnshire, Arlington Hts, North Shore and The Glen shows. During the weekend of Barrington, I was also considering Prairie Arts in Schaumburg. Sounds like Cuneo is not a great bet.

I normally do Libertyville Days on Father's Day weekend - great little cheap summer festival with good attendance. I've heard good things about the Lakefront festival of arts at the Milwaukee Art Museum that weekend, but I can't find an application online yet.

Fountain Square Art Festival in Evanston is the same weekend as Amdur's Arlington Hts. Thoughts?

I have had good luck at the Adler art show in Libertyville, which is the same weekend as Amdur's Glenview show. I've also heard good things about Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival that same weekend.

Other confusing weekends - Labor Day... is Art Fair on the Square in Lake Forest worthwhile?

Anyone have comments on the Wilmette Arts Guild show on 9/11-12? It's very tempting to consider the smaller guild shows when faced with $400+ booth fees.

Thank you to anyone willing to take the time to help!!!

I'd love to hear about your favorite shows in this area.

Wendy

Coconut Grove Arts Festival

Posted by Wendy Boucher on February 9, 2010 at 2:39pm

This coming weekend I will be participating in the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. I have not been in such a large show before. Any advice for this show in particular?

Southwest Arts Festival 2010 in Indio,CA

Posted by BenJamin Stielow on February 9, 2010 at 11:05am

Not a bad weekend. Nice weather, good crowds and a buying energy that I havn't felt at a show in a while. Sales seemed all over the board, one neighbor did quite well, another o.k. and another was a goose egg; but I did notice quite a few bags being carried. I had only 2 sales, but they were good sales.

I was told that this was Shanna's first year organizing the event, and I feel bad that I can't remember our traffic control guru's name, they both seemed concerned in what they could do to help the whole process along. Both show operation and load-in/out seemed to go very smooth. One of the easier load-in/outs for me.

I will likely apply to do this show again next year.

Open Jury in St. Louis - March 18 & 19

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 9, 2010 at 9:30am

Ready to see some great art images? Want to see your images stack up for one of the most competitive art fairs in the country? Here's your answer:
Saint Louis Art Fair Reception and Open Jury
Jurying will be held at the St. Louis Art Artists’ Guild, 2 Oak Knoll Park, Clayton, MO 63105. Parking is available in front of the Guild. We will be in the 1st floor Gallery on the right as you enter the front door.

Thursday, March 18
• 6:00 – 7:30 pm Reception at the Artists’ Guild.
Cultural Festivals will provide local artists an opportunity to learn more about the jury process. The reception will allow them to see their images projected as well as images of other artists that applied to the show. CF staff will give a demonstration on the Zapplication process.

Friday, March 19
Jurying begins promptly at 1:00 p.m. – round one of the jury process. Artists and others, interested in seeing the process, are invited to come and observe the Saint Louis Art Fair process in action.

If you have questions please contact Laura Miller at 314-863-0292, (c) 314-749-1998 or lmiller@culturalfestivals.com, or Cindy Lerick at 314-863-4485, or clerick@culturalfestivals.com.

Mount Dora Prize Winners

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 8, 2010 at 5:30pm

Unlike Fort Myers (see Bert Herrera's posting) where the prize money had hit hard times, Mount Dora passed out their $5000 Best of Show award and many more. The Best of Show winner, James Casey, of Clermont, FL, was "shocked, totally stunned, and emotionally overwhelmed." Congratulations to James, a part time artist, who will be back at Lowe's working in the garden department soon. Read the rest of the story here: And the Winner is...

The rest of the winners:

Best of Show ($5,000): James Casey, Clermont

Judges 2-D Choice ($1,500): John Whipple, Winter Park

Judges 3-D Choice ($1,500): Rollin Karg, Kelchi, Kan.

Wendy Alderman Award ($250): Teresa Haun, Tahoe City, Calif.

Category winners, $750 each:

Painting: Polly Podolsky, Orlando

Watercolor: Scott Hartley, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Clay: Don McWhorter, Carrollton, Ga.

Mixed media: Lynn Whipple, Winter Park

Glass and metal: Scott Amrhein, Sherwood, Wis.

Jewelry: Kristin Holeman, Fort Lauderdale

Photography: Laurie Coppedge, Jacksonville

Sculpture: David Figueroa, Sanford

Fine craft: Carol Rollin, Ormond Beach

Award of Excellence ($500 each): Patricia Karnes, Winter Park; Jeffrey Eckert, Tampa; Unmarid Eitharong, Orlando; Dennis DeBon, St. Petersburg; John Kellum, Orlando; Ginny Ganong Nichols, Decatur, Ga.; Bruce Hollwerda, Hoover, Ala.; Edson Campos, Winter Park; Bill Turner, Newnan, Ga.; Charles Gatewood, Phenix City, Ala.; Fred Tate, Austin, Texas; and Michael Barnes, Big Rock, Ill.

Art Fest Ft Myers - lots of folks, few bags, no award $$...

Posted by Bert Herrera on February 8, 2010 at 11:49am

Art Fest in Ft Myers took place this past weekend along the riverfront in downtown Ft Myers. The downtown redevelopment agency has done an incredible job with the downtown here. I remember about 12 years ago, the area was a dump, but it looks fantastic now.

Set up was Friday and it was scheduled in different time slots depending on your booth number. There was supposed to have been a VIP section of the show open Friday night for the muckety-mucks who paid extra $$ for early shopping etc. I say 'supposed' because there was a tornado watch issued around 3PM for the area. A squall line was moving down the Gulf, and expected to hit around 6PM. We all set up, tied down, screwed down, and went away hoping all would remain standing. The rains and wind did hit, but it wasn't quite as bad as was predicted. Around 7PM when the worse was over, I walked over to the booth from the hotel (Indigo Hotel - highly recommend it), and saw all was ok. There was an artist party Friday night with lots of good liquor, and food.

Saturday AM dawned cooler, windy and mostly with blue skies. Lots of folks came out, and walked. We had a nice breakfast with the usual bagels, etc. Sales, for me, were few (2 customers to be exact). We still had Sunday. Sunday the weather was beautiful, a little warmer, and less windy than Saturday. Lots of people walking again, Sales, for me, were slim. I made a little money, very little. Some folks said they did fine. I saw an artist 2 over from me who seemed to be constantly wrapping, but many I spoke with were amazed at how many folks turned out, but didn't buy.

About the awards, or lack thereof. At the breakfast award ceremony/breakfast, it was announced that due to the current economic conditions, they had a tough decision as to whether to give the award money to the school kids or to the artists. The kids won. (No, I did not get an award). I think first and second in category got a free booth for next year, assuming they wish to return. There were some very unhappy folks, rightfully so, in my opinion.

Artigras next wkd. I sure hope it's better.

The "Art Stars" - January's Featured Members

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 6, 2010 at 5:30pm

In January we held the first voting for Art Fair Insiders most helpful members. Thanks to all of you who voted. It was really fun to see if your ideas on this and mine jibed. There were so many good nominations and so many deserving participants.

Our first month's winners are:

Paula Johnson of Arizona City, AZ, a member since since April 2009, who has been instrumental in the hospitality of the site, welcoming newbies and old friends and participating in the forums.

Nels Johnson of Ybor City, FL, a member since January 2009, whose writing has enlivened the reporting on art fairs around the country and given all of us a lighthearted view into the art fair business.

Michelle Sholund of Reisterstown, MD, a member since May 2009, an inveterate cheerleader, blog writer and reporter with an East Coast perspective with lots of down-to-earth advice.

This site would not be the same without their input and yours. Many thanks to each of them for being so helpful in building Art Fair Insiders as a useful source for artists from all media and walks of life.

Return of the Brandywine Arts Festival!

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 5, 2010 at 2:33pm

Lo and behold, this event is being resurrected by a local man, Barry Schlecker, a Wilmington native and art collector and owner of The Network Group. It will be back at its original location and on its original dates. Stay tuned for more details.

Read more about it: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/201002031141/entertainment/100203022

Read more about Schlecker and his plans for the event: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/201002040345/LIFE/2040355

Crystal River Manatee Festival January 9 and 10

Posted by Roxie Spell on February 5, 2010 at 6:34am

Well, as some of you have guessed, I am new at this game. This is only my second year and have I learned alot and I DO have a lot to learn. I wanted to tell my story from this show.

Most of you know we did have snow in Florida for the first time in years and set up Fri the 8th was freezing cold. Came back early Saturday freezing, cloudy, little snow, few people. Most of the artists were bumming out. Some did NOT return the next day. Me, being new at this was not going to imagine not showing up on Sunday. I arrived Sunday morning, crisp cold and clear, even sunny. Unzipped my tent and got immediately covered with snow. The side walls, ceiling, my art, (lucky I work with clay), and tables were frosty and covered with ice/snow. I went to the other vendors to see if anyone else had snow in their tents, no just me. I discovered the culprit, a grate to the street which was inside my tent and must have sent up moist air in the night.

So, on a bright, cold, sunny day, I had light snowfall inside my tent all morning and then a little rain as the sun warmed it up. I was a living snowglobe.

Anyway, I did very well considering the weather and the precipitation in my tent.

FUN FUN

Roxie Spell

www.naturesclayart.com

first shot in the front inside the tent, second photo is the culprit

Suncoast Arts Festival January 23,24 2010

Posted by Jennifer Simpson on February 4, 2010 at 3:30pm

This was held at the Shoppes of Wiregrass, Wesley Chapel, Florida. It's basically a suburb of Tampa with beaches, state parks, and Tampa itself within a short driving distance. Set up started at 10PM Friday night and lasted till 12AM then resumed early in the morning (4AM I think it was). I drove there from TN so I left early Friday morning planning to get there by 7 or so, check in to my hotel and then go find the festival. Well, I left on time but about halfway there my car died. So I left my car in Macon, GA and had to rent a van, unload everything at the Volvo Dealership (I have an older Volvo station wagon) and then haul a** to get to Florida before midnight. LOL. I arrived at Wesley Chapel right at 11:30 PM and thought - yay! just in time to get signed in so I don't have to do it all in the morning. Ummmm, it didn't work out that way. A dense fog had settled over the whole area making it impossible to see street signs, find the festival, or even my hotel. My husband actually helped me from back home in TN......my cell phone has that tracking system thing on it so he could follow my car on a map on the computer and he told me where I was in relation to the hotel (it was past midnight by this time). So he found the hotel and I checked in and slept for a couple of hours before getting up at 4AM for the set up. So it wasn't a great start to my first festival of the year LOL. It's funny now that I look back on it but at the time I was way over stressed. I hated leaving my car in Macon but my rental van was brand new super high tech. I even had to have someone show me how to close the doors, you apparently press buttons instead of just closing them like in a normal vehicle. But back to the festival......It actually turned out to be pretty awesome for me. I must have had all that adrenaline going the first day because I wasn't even tired until I got back to the hotel room. Sales that day were steady, I sold 4 of my bigger canvases and several matted prints. I did about $1200 the first day and then less on Sunday. Maybe $300 or so. It wasn't an awesome $4000 or $5000 show by any means but then again I didn't expect it to be. I believe the show itself was only $150. I've also had a couple of sales from it since I got home.....one for $100 and another for almost $300. So adding all that up it comes to a decent total. Plus I'm trying to learn to take everything into consideration when I do a show, not just the money I bring back (although this is obviously the most important factor lol). The location was lovely, palm trees and fountains and sunshine, there was a 2 story Barnes and Noble right there, coffee shops and restaurants were all around. There were booth sitters that came by several times a day, a goodie bag with snacks for all the artists, and load in and load out were super easy because we could drive right up to our booths. I stayed at the Best Western Summer Crest which was about 5 minutes from the festival. I highly recommend the hotel, the rooms were super spacious and comfortable and there was an Outback Steakhouse right across the street. The festival was only Saturday and Sunday but my car wasn't going to be ready until Tuesday so I stayed until Tuesday morning. This gave me a day to explore the area.....I went to Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin,Tarpon Springs, and then on into Tampa. They have a fabulous Ikea store there in Tampa so it required a trip into the city proper. I left Tampa at about 8 that night and could see the whole city lit up, it was beautiful. I left about 9 the next morning and the trip home was fortunately uneventful. I picked up my car, reloaded it all at the Volvo Dealership and got home late that night. And then slept for about 3 days.......LOL. Oh, and I got lots of great photos of the ocean on my exploring day. All the better to create new artwork from.....

Deerfield Beach

Posted by R. C. Fulwiler on February 4, 2010 at 10:59am

Deerfield Beach is located just south of Boca Raton. It was held on January 30 & 31. The show has been around a long time and has moved several times in an attempt to find an audience. It is now held right on the street along the beach running for 3 or 4 blocks. Saturday was a beautiful day and the beach-goers were out in large numbers. Many in swimsuits and flip-flops. Wallets were left behind. I covered expenses but overheard my neighbor (selling lotions) say she had her best Saturday in 5 years. This show is juried, but it is hard to tell when you walk the show. Almost anything goes. I'm sure there is a lot of buy/sell, but no one seems to care. The show has booths set up along each curb leaving room for one lane down the center. I arrived late on Friday afternoon for set up and found most tents already there. I was able to pull up to my space and unload easily. Load-out was more of a problem and they made us tear down completely before driving in. Sunday dawned with a solid overcast and a cool wind off the ocean. It stayed that way the whole day and got colder as the day progressed. But, sales improved! No swim ware, no flip-flops and many more serious buyers. I almost doubled Saturday's take. It was a pleasant surprise and logs-in as my best show of the year so far. I will consider it again next year.

Call for Artists: Summerfest in Evergreen, Colorado

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 3, 2010 at 7:30pm

July 17th & 18th
Evergreen, Colorado
Presented by the Center for the Arts Evergreen
Buchanan Park
125 artists
Deadline: March 15th

You are invited to apply to our annual Summerfest Arts Festival. It is a juried exhibition of gallery quality fine art and fine crafts. Being only 30 minutes from Denver, Evergreen is a day trip destination for city dwellers to beat the heat in the middle of the summer and enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains.

For our 31st year, the Summerfest Arts Festival is undergoing some big changes for 2010. After moving the festival in 2008 to a more visible venue, we doubled our attendance. Now we are poised to really put Summerfest on the map and make it the highlight of the summer for the mountain community. Due to the big changes, we intend to increase our marketing of Summerfest and our goal is to double the attendance in 2010.

What's new at Summerfest:
Ø Extended hours for a special music event Saturday
evening
Ø A beer garden for visitors

Ø International Children's Village
Ø Expanded marketing and advertising efforts

Why Summerfest:
Ø Beautiful mountain
Ø Outstanding artist hospitality: great volunteer help, artist dinner, water, snacks for artists, and booth sitters
Ø Sponsored by a nonprofit art center
Ø Overnight security
Ø Affluent community in Evergreen
Ø Great visibility from main access routes
Ø Collaboration with area arts organizations
Ø Clearly Evergreen's premier summer festival

www.zapplication.org or get a paper application at www.evergreenarts.org

Don't Want to Travel Far? Take a few Tips from Jeane Vogel

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 3, 2010 at 4:52pm

I receive photographer Jeane Vogel's email newsletter periodically. It just keeps getting better and better, so I'm putting it here to inspire those of you who may be interested in a few of these good ideas: Ok, I know some of you have heard this three times in the last three years, but I PROMISE this is the last time for a while: I have a fabulous new gallery and studio that I truly want you to see! (1) opened a gallery Last January I opened a small gallery and work studio in ArtSpace at Crestwood Court. In the last year, my studio has been featured in local and national broadcast and print media. The ArtSpace concept has spread around the world -- literally! -- and now artists and retail landlords are teaming up to create new, exciting art destinations. But we at Crestwood Court were the first. The studio and gallery have been so successful that I asked for more space ... and was leased a 4000-square foot retail space with gallery lighting. I expanded my gallery 10-fold and have enough studio space to shoot and paint and work -- and teach. I'm in heaven. Please consider this your invitation to come by. Best time? This Saturday, Jan. 30, from 5-9 for our monthly Art on the Court. Enter at Fletchers. (2) using Facebook to drive traffic All galleries at ArtSpace will be open and serving light refreshments. Want to know who will be open? Visit ArtSpace on FaceBook. Coming Soon--Guest Artists! My new gallery is big enough to share! Beginning in February, I will be featuring one new artist each month. Guest artists will be chosen from the membership of the Women's Caucus for Art and will showcase some of the most exciting new art in the St. Louis area. (3) inviting juried artists to exhibit from an arts organization I'm also inviting some fellow Best of Missouri Hands juried artists to exhibit in the gallery. BOMH is an organization that recongizes artists who have achieved excellence in their media. They are the "best of the best" in the state. I am honored to be a Best of Missouri Hands artist and I want to introduce some of my sister and brother artists to my collectors. You will not be disappointed. Watch for announcements in the next month. -------- (4) publicizes her own website and has work on etsy.com Visit Me On-Line! All my art is on-line at vogelpix.com. Art to Wear pendants and small prints are at jeanevogel.etsy.com. Both have secure shopping carts. (5) pulls out all the stops for social networking, not only FaceBook, but Twitter On FaceBook? If you're on FaceBook, you already know it's a great way to get a lot of quick information in one place. Please become a fan of Jeane Vogel Fine Art and ArtSpace Crestwood Court. You'll always be "in the know!" On Twitter you can find me at JeaneVogelArt Studio/Gallery Holiday Hours The studio is OPEN! During the week I might have shoots outside of the studio, but I'm generally open 9 a.m - 6 p.m. Need me open later? Just call. Weekend hours: Saturday noon-7pm ArtSpace has the most number of artists open on weekends. Please visit us! Need a Special Gift? Please Support Your Local Artists Art is personal. Art is special. The artists at ArtSpace at Crestwood Court are eager to fill the world with art! Please add Crestwood Court to your lists of places to look for special gifts for family and friends. Lots of us have small, unique items that are perfect for teacher gifts. Just ask us! This year, give gifts of art! Fill the world with beauty! (6) holds workshops to build her audience Workshops for Scouts & Homeschoolers I loved Girl Scouts so much as a kid that I became a leader when my daughter was in kindergarten. Nine years later, I'm still at it! The bigger studio gives me a chance to help other girls get their art, jewelry and photography themed badges. See whole list of workshops here. Need something for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts? Home schoolers? I can help with that too. Just call (314.918.1717) or email me at jeane@vogelpix.com. I'm also available for Artist Residencies for your school, youth group, senior center or art organization. Previous residencies include St. Louis Children's Hospital, COCA, Viva Vox, Reform Jewish Academcy, St. Vincent's Home, Traditional Congregation, and many area schools. Call me! 314.918.1717 Open Studio Every Weekday! You don't have to wait for an art fair (though they ARE a lot fun) to see and purchase my work. My studio and gallery at Crestwood Court is open every weekday, 9-6 (sometimes later), most Saturdays from noon-6 and on Sundays & evenings by appointment. If you are in St. Louis, please call me or stop by. #19-1/2 ArtSpace at Crestwood Court (west end, enter at Fletcher's. I'm just to the right of the escalators.) 314.918.1717 Of course, I'm always available on the web, www.vogelpix.com And as always, thank you for being a patron and supporter of the arts! --Jeane Can you think of anything she left out? Congratulations, Jeane, for putting so many pieces in place to not only support yourself but to help others in the artist community.

Howard Alan Events Working with the American Red Cross

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 3, 2010 at 4:30pm

What a pleasure it was to open my mail and see this message from Howard Alan Events:

Thank you from The Bottom of our Hearts! -Howard Alan Events & The American Red Cross! To all our Patrons and Exhibitors, Thank you for helping us raise over $20,000 for the victims of the Haiti Disaster during the past two weekends at the 21st Annual Downtown Delray Beach Festival of the Arts and The City Place Art Fair. We will be continuing to Raise money for the victims of the Haiti Disaster. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! Good for you, Howard! What a great opportunity to send some help to Haiti. This makes me proud to be a part of this industry.

New Jury System (EntryThingy) offers more than just jury

Posted by Barry Witt on February 3, 2010 at 12:49pm

A gallery of the works and info about the work of participating artists.This new feature benefits the Festival, the patrons and our participating artists.Another wonderful thing, there is no additional cost to the show or the artist.Great for the patrons who want to find an artist they saw at the event.Check it out at:http://artinusa.com/bonita/artist_gallery_jan_10.htmWorth passing on to the show directors you meet in your travels.

Awards - 2010 January Bonita Springs National Art Festival

Posted by Barry Witt on February 3, 2010 at 12:30pm

Award winners at New Smyrna Beach's IMAGES

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 3, 2010 at 9:00am

Congratulations to the prize winners at New Smyrna last weekend. This show is very generous with prize money and as such draws some excellent participants. TOP FESTIVAL AWARDS: · Best of Show ($5,000 Award): William Kidd, Miramar; ceramics · George and June Musson Award ($2,500 Award): John Kreiger, Midland, Mich.; painting/watercolor · Award of Excellence ($1,500 Award): Nathalie Torres, Kissimmee; mixed-media AWARDS OF DISTINCTION ($800 award): · Vadim Malkin, Maitland; ceramics · Sandy Lent, Lake Mary; glass · Wiwat Kamolporniwijit, Alexandria, Va.; jewelry · Judi Wood, West Palm Beach; fiber/leather AWARD OF COMMENDATION ($500 Award): · Jason Hunt, Orlando; graphics/drawing · Michael Bryant; Atlanta; photography · Robert Kastrinos; Orlando, ceramics · Jinsong Kim, Mims; ceramics · Terry Habeger, Markesan, Wis.; ceramics · Steve Howell, Gainesville; ceramics JUDGES CHOICE ($350 Award): · Holly Hambrick, Ormond Beach; mixed media · Ummarid Eitharong, Orlando; mixed media · Leah Dziewit, Maple City, Mich.; fiber · John Kellum, Orlando; ceramics · Bill and Jon Slade, Jacksonville; glass AWARD OF MERIT ($250 Award): · Jack Hill, Beverly Hills, FL; sculpture · Dan Hay, Frostproof; fine crafts · Magali Groves, Orlando; fine crafts · Lloyd Cheney, Palm Bay; wood · Matthew Hatala, Danielsville, Ga. · Lou McMurray, Dunedin; wood · Laurie Coppedge, Jacksonville Beach; photography · Paul M. Stevens, Achilles, Va.; photography · Richard Currier, Micco; painting · Carolyn Currie, New Milford, Ct.; painting · Robert Wince, Daytona Beach; painting · Bill McCamish, Three Oaks, Mich. AWARD OF HONOR ($200 Award): · Jeff Ripple, Naples; photography · Michael Myers, Jacksonville Beach · Michel Delgado, Key West; painting · Teresa and Robert Nilsson, Pensacola; jewelry · Patricia Karnes, Winter Park; jewelry · Marc and Wendy Zoschke, Springfield, Ill.; jewelry Thanks to the NewsJournalOnline.com for this information

R.I.P. - Howard Zinn, an optimist in the face of reality

Posted by Connie Mettler on February 2, 2010 at 5:30pm

"Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment (beware of such moments!) but as an endless succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society. We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. Even when we don't "win," there is fun and fulfillment in the fact that we have been involved, with other good people, in something worthwhile. We need hope. An optimist isn't necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark of our time. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places--and there are so many--where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory," - Howard Zinn. Read the rest of this article: The Optimism of Uncertainty," The Nation, 2004.

Key West Craft Show

Posted by Bonnie Eastwood on February 1, 2010 at 10:04am

Great weather, wonderful to be in the Keys, I go back the end of February for the Art Show. This was just fair for most I talked to. Long way to go. No cruise ships in. My customers were long time Key West residence, who were out and enjoying the show. So if you love Key West give it a shot, it is well run with space for parking a couple of blocks from the show. Just a lovely show all in all. I am off to Ft Myers next week, I'll let you know. Pray for great weather, we all remember Cape Coral.

Kumquat Festival, 2010

Posted by Bill Sargent on January 31, 2010 at 8:00pm

Look, folks.. this is small town America. If Norman Rockwell were alive today he'd jump at the chance of setting up his easel in the main intersection of this show. Off duty firemen and rescue workers show up in their dress uniforms to mingle with an admiring crowd. It is the only show we've seen where people stop where they are and pledge allegiance toward the flag as they play the National Anthem. Older gentlemen parade their antique garden tractors for the delighted onlookers. The kumquat pies and cookies sell shortly after noon, so ya'll better get there early. Miss Kumquat, Miss Kumquat Blossom, Miss Kumquat Bud, Miss Kumquat Blossom, etc. (the list seems to grow each year) will pose with you for snapshots on request. This alone is worth the trip. We've been doing this show in Dade City, Florida for years and it is our very favorite. Money isn't everything, but a thousand bucks for getting up at three in the morning, driving thirty miles, and then getting back home in time to have dinner the same night at a nice restaurant afterward make for a rewarding (albeit long) day. This year the show started out with the largest crowds we have ever seen here. When the predicted rains hit they didn't go away. They just sprouted umbrellas. The fact that the rain was expected and it was very light didn't hurt. I also have to admit I ran a business in Dade City for almost thirty years before selling out to restart my art show career that I had begun in 1978, The show is extremely well organized. Setup is said to be at six AM without exception, but those arriving early kind of creep in, park way toward the edge of the street, and start dumping their stuff on the median out of the way of traffic. As soon as the traffic barricades go up on the end of the strip you can set up your tent. They really appreciate it if you're out of there as soon as you offload, but they don't make a federal case out of it. Although no one is quite sure why, the show attracts crowds of about 40,000 in one day. Imagine a county fair without rides or livestock.. but people show up in droves anyway. Just exactly what is a kumquat? If you don't see fit to come to the festival to find out I'm not going to tell you. As for us, we brought home three bags of them. We also bought two kumquat trees last year which have fruit on them as I speak.

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